izigame.me

Shapes is a top level factory game that has distilled the gameplay loop into its "purest" form. The game removes many of the obstacles that other factory games use to "make it more gamey". You would think this would make the game less fun, but what it actually dose is open the game up to the things that many people think of as the most fun thing about factory games. Making the factory.
This is realised by : No space issues, the map is literally infinite.
No resource limits. Every resource node is randomly spread through the infinite space. You can always find a new source. This also means no restrictions based on the nodes. You want a larger factory, just build over those nodes, they can be found elsewhere.
No Cost. You can build away with no care about having to using factory made items to pay for other items you want to build.
No Power. There is no power requirements in the build.
Simple buildings. The entire game is based off only a few building and machine types. Simplifying the entire game and how the final shapes are made by not going through less convoluted paths.
Auto-upgrading. The tier system has a global effect. Research a new belt speed, all the belts instantly update. No need to ever rebuild or go through every path in the build to redraw the belts and place new versions of the machines.
The game is pretty much close to other factory games "free play" modes. You would think this would make it less but and addicting, but it has the opposite effect for me.
There is also a puzzle element to this game that is not really seen in others. I mean, all factory games require some maths to work out load balance and stuff, but the actual core of this game is the shapez concept. Each resource node is either a primary colour or a grey shape. You are asked to produce X given shapes to go up levels to harder shapes and to unlock higher tier equipment. You make these shapes by taking the basic shapes and cutting them up, painting and then combining them again. This is the meat of the game. The puzzle aspect of creating these complex end game shapes.
Efficiency is something a lot of factory games are about, and you can be super efficient in this one as well if you like but the infinite space and infinite resources mean you can also just relax and do whatever as well. So shapez offers many ways to play. There is a literal puzzle system, the joys of making a super hardcore efficient factory and a relaxing, almost meditative mode where you just build and build. Oh seem to not be getting some belts with any shapez on it? Meh... I'll just build a brand new giant factory over here, instead of trying to fix that one and loose all then other shapez is is correctly making.
One of the cool things is also that this game understands progression very well. It walks you through easy shapez and gets harder and harder, as well as making the quantity needed larger and larger. Each tier requires all the shapes of the tier below it... until teir 6. Once you get to tier 6 in any upgrade tree all the old shapes are no longer needed at all. A new set of 6 complex shapes are required.
This is a genius bit of meta understanding about how these type of games are played. The game literally has a "part 2" built into it where your current and most likely messy factory can be completely demolished and rebuilt using all the knowledge you gained so far... no restart and resetting the research needed.
Verdict : A cross puzzle-factory game that tends to outclass almost all other factory games. It is quick, light on resources and totally addictive. If you see this on sale. Buy it.